Laptop running into the ground

[killa]

Ok my sister has a problem with her laptop.
At first the problem appeard to be from a online dictionary program installed for her translations.
The fan was always on, the cpu was at 100%.
I got rid of it and it seemed fine, but the problem has come back.

This is the messege i got from her...

"I'm running a Toshiba 2100 laptop with Windows XP Pro.
The 2 major problems I'm having are:
1. the laptop is taking quite awhile to actually start up
2. as soon as it's running and I try to work in a word.doc or (now) even surfing the internet the CPU usage is practically 100% and the fan is whizzing round like the clappers. I've checked Windows Task Manager under Processes and I can see that Winword.exe seems to be the culprit.

I'm no computer boffin, but I think I have a registry/security problem. I've checked my computer via 2 or 3 web sites (XsoftSe, RegCure and Trend Micro) they each detect various problems usually between 500 and 850(!! aaaahhhh!), Trend Micro detecting the most and before I buy on-line I want to know if I'm doing the right thing. Please, please, please help before my laptop pops its clogs taking all my work with it."

Thanks guys
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[map]

First thing is to check for what's running in the background that should be there.

Try first SpyBot S&D and also Adaware - they're both free (try google) and do find different stuff.

After that you're info HiJackThis and working it out.

HTH
____________________
...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Neorion]

Ask her to keep hitting f8 and then to select "SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING" when the computer 1st turns on this should be a lot quicker when starting up and you have the best chance of catching anything with the programs MAP mentioned above.

I say with networking as you can access the web with a network cable in this mode and do online scans.

I take it she is using trend micro housecall?

If it still takes a while to even boot up in safe mode after you have used these programs, then you may be into harddisk testing as a failing drive can sometimes give horrible performance without giving any other symptoms.

It would be an idea to back up her important data at this point just in case.

I may be in the minority here but when a system I run really starts to have issues and you have done everything you can to save it.

I reformat and start again in most cases....

I take it she has adequate antivirus/antispyware right?

Also check the event viewer in Administration tools in the control panel. Look under system and application. Each event has an error code that can be looked up online. May help.

cheers
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VFR FI 2000- Shiney Red Thing
"some things man was never meant to know, for everything else there's Google"

[killa]

I think she means she used the online facility but then it wants money to fix the problem.
She does look at the programs running, and the winword or whatever is taking up loads of the CPU.
Is it gonna be worth the money then?
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Seb]

Give malwarebyte's anti malware a shot before you spend any money elsewhere.

https://www.download.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button

Given my experience with handling spyware, mbam has managed to pluck out rubbish that even I couldn't get rid of by hand. Be sure to update it before you run a full scan.
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[Catalyst]